YOUNGSTERS have been entertaining a town's shoppers while raising hundreds of pounds for the Asian tsunami appeal.

Every Thursday for the past four weeks, pupils from Greystone Primary School, in Ripon, have been singing on the Town Hall steps as people pour into the city centre for the Thursday market. After their latest recital, pupils were thanked by the town's mayor, Councillor Stuart Martin, who is a governor at the school. The decision to sing for the tsunami appeal was made after a meeting of the school council.

Coun Martin said: "The children have enjoyed the experience and the public have loved it. They have been stopped in their tracks. I think it's a tremendous idea that has gone down well." Headteacher Mrs Jean Stevens praised the generosity of shoppers, saying some pensioners had been donating far more than they could afford.

The school is supporting a North Yorkshire County Council initiative to raise money for the Tamil Nadu region of India, devastated by the tsunami.

A target of £100,000 has been set by the council, and Greystone has already raised enough to provide people in the village of Nambikki with a fully-equipped house.